# 4. Consistent PLS

## Purpose

How do the customer-experience relationships look after consistent-PLS correction of reflective constructs?

## Practice study

- File: [customer-experience-pls.csv](../samples/customer-experience-pls.csv)
- Prepared project: [customer-experience-pls.qpls](../projects/customer-experience-pls.qpls)
- Observations: 400
- Data type: deterministic synthetic instructional data
- Complexity: a realistic multi-construct model with multi-item measurement blocks

## Exact procedure

1. Start QuickPLS and choose **Open Project**. Select [customer-experience-pls.qpls](../projects/customer-experience-pls.qpls). This prepared teaching project contains the exact dataset, analysis-ready base model, bindings, and a saved layout. Complete any method-specific term, group, or higher-order instruction stated below before calculation.

2. Open **Data** and confirm **customer-experience-pls.csv** contains 400 observations. Return to **Model**. The linked CSV remains available separately for inspection and re-import practice.

   ![Consistent PLS sample data](../screenshots/consistent-pls/01-data-ready.png)

3. Confirm that the prepared model contains these constructs and measurement blocks: Quality (quality_1–quality_4), Value (value_1–value_3), Trust (trust_1–trust_4), Satisfaction (satisfaction_1–satisfaction_4), and Loyalty (loyalty_1–loyalty_4), all reflective.

   Confirm these saved structural paths: Quality, Value, and Trust → Satisfaction; Quality, Value, and Trust → Loyalty. This direct-effects teaching model deliberately leaves indirect-path analysis to the separate Mediation tutorial.

4. The prepared project already contains a saved, neatly arranged model layout. Do not choose **Arrange** or otherwise change the canvas before this tutorial calculation. If you later edit the model, arrange it once and save the edited project before calculating.

   ![Consistent PLS prepared model or variable roles](../screenshots/consistent-pls/02-arranged-model.png)

5. Choose **Validate** and confirm there are no blockers. Do not save the unchanged prepared project; save only after you intentionally edit it.

6. Use **Calculate → Consistent PLS**.

   ![Consistent PLS calculation setup](../screenshots/consistent-pls/03-calculation-setup.png)

7. Complete the method-specific settings:

- Confirm that every corrected construct uses a reflective measurement model
- Keep default PLSc correction and convergence settings

8. Read **Readiness**, leave **Open Results when finished** selected, and choose **Start calculation** once. Wait for **Completed**; do not close the project while the result is being saved.

9. In **Results**, confirm **Consistent PLS** is selected and inspect these outputs in order:

1. Corrected path coefficients
2. Corrected outer estimates
3. Reliability and validity
4. Model fit

   ![Consistent PLS primary result](../screenshots/consistent-pls/04-results-primary.png)

   ![Consistent PLS secondary result](../screenshots/consistent-pls/05-results-secondary.png)

10. Choose **Save Report** to preserve the exact result. Use **Export** for the needed table/report format. Close and reopen the project once and confirm the saved result remains selectable.

## Reading guidance

- The data are deterministic synthetic teaching data. They are suitable for reproducing the workflow, not for substantive publication claims.